Information Needed: Metal Spinning/Spin Forming...

Turning or spin casting?

Mark... Click on the link and you'll see a 10 minute video about Lufthansa Airlines restoration of a Lockheed L1649 Starliner. At the 3:30 spot in the video there is a segment about a company in Glendale, CA (Hermanns Metal Spinning) that made new propeller spinners for the plane using metal spinning. The whole video is very interesting. Good Luck with your project..

Jay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr88hFNm6D8&t=12s

Thanks for replying guys...

Jim...not spin casting, big difference but I should have been more clear because they're easily confused. These will be metal parts spun on a lathe. Starts out with a flat disc and the parts are formed I think over a mold in most cases. Many names for it that I have heard of, metal spinning, metal forming, spin forming, I think a few others also....

Jay, I'll definately check out the video later on, sounds interesting. Pretty sure any company that does propeller spinners won't be interested in my little project but that sure doesn't make it sound less interesting. I have to be careful with that, watching one video usually leads to watching ten  

Thank you...

How big is the part? Usually small parts, like a lamp shade, are just punched out into a die.

Pete

Are you talking about orbital forming?

It could be done either way Pete, but tooling up for a part that I may make only 50-150 of it's not worth the tooling investment. Parts will be around 2"...

MichRR714 posted:

Are you talking about orbital forming?

I've never heard it called orbital forming and don't have time to look at the moment, but most likely same thing. Again, called many things. But I couldn't resist temptation, I took a look at Jay's video, he nailed it, same process on a much (MUCH) smaller scale. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-biLfru-c

I think you nailed it David

Like everything else that you have somebody else do, it will be expensive.  Small propeller spinners are spun from aluminum, and are a mere grand or so each, since they only make several thousand at a time.

Those stainless things that bartenders use are made by the millions, and can be bought for cheap.

Boilers for brass locomotive models used to be spun, but it is now lots cheaper to bend and solder, in small quantities.

I am in the same fix - I want two parts sand cast in brass.  It is no longer easy to do that.  You just cannot walk in to a foundry any more.  They will ask "how many thousand do you want?"

bob2 posted:

Like everything else that you have somebody else do, it will be expensive.  Small propeller spinners are spun from aluminum, and are a mere grand or so each, since they only make several thousand at a time.

Those stainless things that bartenders use are made by the millions, and can be bought for cheap.

Boilers for brass locomotive models used to be spun, but it is now lots cheaper to bend and solder, in small quantities.

I am in the same fix - I want two parts sand cast in brass.  It is no longer easy to do that.  You just cannot walk in to a foundry any more.  They will ask "how many thousand do you want?"

Bob... get hold of the Cattail Foundry in Gordonville, PA. I recall they do pour brass, aluminum & cast iron and they are not only the very best at what they do, they are always more than willing to do one off parts or short runs and their prices are always unbelievably reasonable. Simple as sending them a part, put a note in the box how many you need with your contact information and on average a few weeks later your parts(s) will be on your porch. Been a few years since I worked with them but I would bet good money they still do. And if they don't, they would know who would. But I'm fairly certain you won't be wasting your time by getting in touch with them. They are Amish, so all contact has to be through the mail. But they are very honest folks to work with. Don't take my word for it, do an online search, quite sure all sorts of folks will highly recommend them and also provide their contact info. 

Also any cast iron parts, I would also recommend Tomahawk Foundry in Rice lake, WI all day long. Amazing people...amazing work, even more amazing prices for one off parts.